p-ISSN: 2980-4302
e-ISSN: 2980-4310
Vol. 3 No. August 8, 2024
Short-Term Complications Between
Duhamel and Soave Procedures in Hirschsprung Patients: A Systematic Review
Ahmad Sofyan1*, Wuri Iswarsigit2,
Joshua Alward Herdiman3, Pathur Rahman Nasution4
1,2,3Karawang General Regional Hospital, Telukjambe,
West Java, Indonesia
4Palmatak General Hospital, Anambas,
Riau Islands, Indonesia
Email: sofyan040794@gmail.com
Abstract
Hirschsprung's disease, or congenital
megacolon, is a birth defect where ganglions are absent in the gut wall,
leading to constipation and intestinal obstruction. It affects 1 in 500 births
worldwide and, if untreated or treated late, significantly impacts children's
growth and quality of life. Understanding the short-term complications of the
Soave and Duhamel methods in Hirschsprung disease patients. A systematic review
was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and
Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In our initial PubMed search and
hand-searching, we identified 36 articles. After screening titles and
abstracts, four were relevant for discussion. We included three articles in our
systematic review after reading the full texts. Enterocolitis was more frequent
with the Duhamel procedure (28%) compared to the Soave procedure (10%). The
risk of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC) increased in patients with
a history of enterocolitis in both treatment groups. Two studies indicate that
short-term complications such as constipation and bloating occur more
frequently after the Soave procedure than the Duhamel procedure. Based on the
three studies we discussed, HAEC was more frequent in the Duhamel procedure
than in the Soave procedure, with significant differences. Constipation was
more common during the soave procedure. Both procedures may cause complications
such as voluntary bowel movement, soiling, and fecal
incontinence, with no statistically significant differences. Minor
complications in the Soave procedure include poor weight gain and
strong-smelling flatulence. In the Duhamel procedure, minor complications
include hardened stools and poor appetite.
Keywords: Short-Term Complications, Hirschsprung Patients, Systematic
Review.
INTRODUCTION
Hirschsprung's disease, also known
as congenital megacolon, is a congenital disorder characterized by the absence of
ganglions in the gut wall, which
causes constipation and obstruction in the intestine
Hirschsprung disease is caused by
the failure of ganglion cells to migrate to
the colon during pregnancy. This congenital abnormality can obstruct the colon,
most commonly affecting the rectosigmoid
area
Several surgical procedures, such as the Swenson, Soave,
and Duhamel procedures, are commonly practiced to treat
Hirschsprung disease
Current literature presents limited short-term complication evaluation comparisons between Duhamel and Soave techniques
for Hirschsprung disease. Hence, in this systematic review, we want
to evaluate the short-term complications that might occur in both methods. By understanding the possible complications, surgeons can minimize
post-operative morbidity and optimize long-term outcomes, thereby improving the quality
of life for
pediatric patients with Hirschsprung disease. This systematic
literature review aims to address
this gap by synthesizing existing evidence and thoroughly
evaluating short-term complications following the Duhamel and
Soave procedures.
RESEARCH METHODS
Literature Search
The literature search
was conducted manually using the PubMed database and hand-searching online.
Synonyms, terms, and other expressions were evaluated using MeSH
text terms to compile suitable keywords for the literature search. The keywords
used for the literature search were: (Hirschsprung Disease) OR (Congenital Aganglionic Megacolon) AND (Duhamel Procedure) OR (Duhamel
Operation) AND (Soave Procedure) OR (Soave Operation). We conducted our
systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews
and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The literature search results underwent
several processes, including eliminating duplicates, screening full titles,
abstract screening, and full-text screening.
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria(s)
The inclusion criteria
for research articles were: (1) original articles published in English; (2)
studies conducted on human subjects; (3) original research papers, such as
case-control studies, clinical trials, and cohort studies; (4) articles with
Duhamel and Soave procedures in the title; (5) complications reported after
performing Duhamel and Soave procedures; and (6) studies conducted during 2014
- 2024. The exclusion criteria for research articles were: (1) studies not
conducted on human subjects (animal studies, in-vitro studies); (2)
non-original research papers, such as reviews, meta-analyses, preliminary
studies, abstracts, letters to the editor; (3) duplicate studies; (4) studies
written in languages other than English; (5) studies that are not accessible.
Quality Assessment
We used the
Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess study quality. This scale is designed to
evaluate cohort studies and assess four aspects of the study: cohort selection,
comparability of cohorts, and outcome assessment
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Literature Identification
In the initial search
in the PubMed database and hand-searching, we identified 36 articles. After
screening the titles and abstracts, we found four articles relevant for
discussion. After reading the full texts, we included three articles in our
systematic review.
Figure 1. Preferred
Reporting Items of Systematic Review
and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Flow Diagram
Quality Assessment
For methodological
quality assessment, we utilized the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale.
All studies included in this systematic review scored 8 – 9 points, which
indicates that the literature included in this systematic review is of good
quality.
Study Characteristics
A total of three
literatures were included in this review. The literature consists of cohort
studies and was published between 2014 and 2024. We identified that the male
gender (77%) was more frequent than the female gender (23%). All
of the literature included in this systematic review was conducted in
Indonesia. The included literature performed the Soave procedure on 101
subjects (62%) and the Duhamel procedure on 63 subjects (38%). The Duhamel
procedure was performed on 54 male patients (79%) and 14 female patients (21%).
Meanwhile, there was a total of 80 male patients (79%) and 21 female patients
(21%) who received the Soave procedure. The population sample varied throughout
the study, from paediatrics to adults.
Table 1. Study
Characteristics
Characteristics |
Soave |
Duhamel |
Total Participants |
101 (62%) |
63 (38%) |
Gender: ·
Male ·
Female |
80 (79%) 21 (21%) |
54 (79%) 14 (21%) |
Short-Term
Complications Identified
One study explains that enterocolitis is a complication of Hirschsprung's disease treatment using the Soave
and Duhamel techniques. Cases of enterocolitis were found more frequently
with the Duhamel procedure (28%) than with the
Soave procedure (10%)
Two studies indicate that short-term
complications such as constipation and bloating occur more frequently after the Soave
procedure than the Duhamel procedure
Various minor short-term complications
can be found
in both the Suave and Duhamel
procedures. Patients receiving the Suave
or Duhamel procedure can experience
voluntary bowel movement (VBM). However, the incidence of
VBM in both procedures was not statistically significant
Table 2. Short-Term Complications of Soave and Duhamel
Procedure
Author |
Location |
Subject |
Procedures |
Result |
(Parahita & Makhmudi, 2018) |
Yogyakarta,
Indonesia |
Male:
75 Female: 25 |
Soave:
71 Duhamel:
29 |
·
HAEC with a significantly
higher frequency after the Duhamel procedure (28%) compared to the Soave
procedure (10%) (P = 0.03) ·
Increase HAEC risk in
patients with long-segment aganglionosis who
received Soave procedure (P = 0,015) ·
History of pre-operative
enterocolitis (P < 0.001) cause higher risk of developing HAEC after
pull-through surgery. |
(Widyasari et al., 2018) |
Yogyakarta,
Indonesia |
Male:
45, Female: 8 |
Soave:
25 Duhamel:
28 |
·
VBM: Soave (88%), Duhamel (93%) ·
Constipation: Soave
(24%), Duhamel (4%) o Risk of constipation increase in female patients ·
Soiling: Soave (8%), Duhamel (21%) |
(Saysoo et al., 2020) |
Yogyakarta,
Indonesia |
Male:
9, Female: 2 |
Soave:
5 Duhamel:
6 |
·
Soave procedure: Frequent
bloating, poor weight gain, flatulence with strong odor, and occasional fecal
incontinence ·
Duhamel procedure:
Hardened stools, poor appetite, and occasional fecal incontinence at night |
Hirschsprung disease is
characterized by the lack of ganglions in Meissner’s plexus and Auerbach’s
plexus in the rectum and extends to the intestine due to neural crest migration
failure during intestinal development
In the Soave procedure, the
aganglionic rectal muscular cylinder is persevered as
it will be necessary for protection during the dissection of the pelvis. Pelvic
dissection is performed to avoid contamination during muscectomy
The Duhamel technique's
principle excludes the rectum rather than removes it. The normal innervated
colon proximal side is pulled through a separation of the rectal space, and the
colon will appear at the posterior side of the anal canal wall. A large enterotomy
connects the excluded rectum with the pulled-through colon, creating a new
rectum with an anterior aganglionic and a posterior
ganglionic bowel. Histology specimens are taken utilizing frozen sections at
the appropriate sites. The final decision on the extent of resecting the aganglionic colon is made according to the biopsy result.
Following the resection, the surgeon performs colorectal anastomosis and
removes the septum between the rectum and the ganglionic colon
Following the surgery,
patients with Hirschsprung disease can experience digestive problems. In this
systematic review, we only included studies that compared short-term
complications of the Soave and Duhamel procedure for Hirschsprung disease. From
the three studies in this systematic review, the short-term complications that
might occur include constipation, voluntary bowel movement issues,
enterocolitis, foul-smelling flatulence, poor appetite, poor weight gain, fecal incontinence, and hardened stool.
One of the most severe
complications is enterocolitis. The exact cause of enterocolitis is unknown and
may be multifactorial. Several causes have been identified, including younger
age, more extended agangliosis segment, abnormalities
in chromosome anastomosis stricture, and malnutrition, which can lead to
secondary infections in the intestine. It is also caused by disturbances in
mucosal barrier function and changes in innate immune response
In one literature, the
incidence of enterocolitis was higher in patients after the Duhamel procedure
compared to the Soave procedure. In this systematic review, we found that the
frequency of enterocolitis was higher in the group of patients who underwent
the Duhamel technique (28%) compared to the Soave group (10%)
Patients who experienced
enterocolitis before surgery are more likely to experience enterocolitis again
after surgery. enterocolitis is due to disturbances in the gut microbiome
before surgery, such as reduced Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria
species that cause reduction of immunoglobulin A secretion and protease
production to inhibit endotoxin of Clostridium Dificille
Obstructive symptoms such
as abdominal distention, vomiting, bloating, and constipation are commonly
found post-operative for Hirschsprung disease
There was no significant
difference between VBM and soiling between the Soave and Duhamel procedures
This study’s strength is
that this is the most recent study that evaluated short-term complications of
the Soave and Duhamel procedures for Hirschsprung disease. To our knowledge,
this systematic review only consists of the most recent studies (2014-2024).
This systematic review also includes both quantitative and qualitative studies.
However, this study has various limitations. First, most included studies were
designed retrospectively with small sample sizes and varying disease severity,
which could introduce bias into this systematic review. Second, the included
studies covered a narrow time range (2014–2024). During these years,
improvements in surgical techniques, perioperative management, complication
prevention, and treatment would certainly affect the overall prognosis of
patients. This could also introduce bias and affect the analysis results.
Lastly, the definitions and evaluation criteria for complications were not
standardized (especially for fecal continence,
constipation, and enterocolitis), which could also introduce bias and affect
the analysis results.
CONCLUSION
Based on the three studies
we discussed, HAEC was more frequently
found in Duhamel than in the Soave
procedure, with significant differences. Constipation was more commonly found
in the Soave procedure than the Duhamel procedure.
Both procedures may cause complications
such as voluntary bowel movement, soiling, and fecal
incontinence that are not statistically significantly different. The minor complications
in the Soave procedure are poor weight gain and flatulence with a strong odor. In the Duhamel procedure,
there are hardened stools and poor
appetite.
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Copyright holders:
Ahmad Sofyan,
Wuri Iswarsigit, Joshua Alward Herdiman, Pathur Rahman Nasution (2024)
First publication right:
AJHS - Asian
Journal of Healthy and Science
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